아무래도 (amuraedo)

아무래도 (amuraedo) is an adverb meaning “no matter how much I think it over” or “no matter how I try to work it out.” It’s the word you place in front of a conclusion after you’ve already turned something over in your head for a while, weighed the other possibilities, and still found your mind settling in one place. Your throat feels scratchy and your body feels heavy. Maybe you got caught in the rain yesterday; maybe you just didn’t sleep. You run through it all and finally say, “아무래도 감기인 것 같아요.” (amuraedo gamgi-in geot gatayo — “I think I might be coming down with a cold.”) You’re sure enough, but you’re not nailing it down. That’s exactly the temperature of this word.

This is the kind of word that makes a learner with decent Korean suddenly start sounding like a native speaker. Going by the dictionary meaning alone, it looks like a concessive expression — “no matter how much you ~” — but in real conversation, 아무래도 (amuraedo) works far more often as a cushion for setting down a guess gently.

아무래도 (amuraedo) has two main faces. The first is a cautious guess. 아무래도 + ~것 같다 / ~나 보다 / ~모양이다 / ~겠다 (amuraedo + ~geot gatda / ~na boda / ~moyang-ida / ~getda) travel together as one chunk. The second is a judgment reached after weighing things. “아무래도 그 집이 낫지.” (amuraedo geu jibi natji — “All things considered, that place is better.”) Here it means “I compared this and that, and in the end…”, and sometimes it even carries a note of resignation — “there’s just no way around it.” 중고 자전거는 아무래도 새것보다 험하다 (junggo jajeongeoneun amuraedo saegeotboda heomhada — “A used bike is inevitably rougher than a new one”) — meaning it’s obvious and unavoidable.

Don’t mix it up with the similar-looking 왠지 (waenji). 왠지 (waenji) means you don’t know why, you just have a feeling; 아무래도 (amuraedo) is what comes out after you’ve considered all the reasons. Someone using 아무래도 (amuraedo) already has several pieces of evidence stacked up in their head. They’re simply choosing not to state the conclusion flatly.

Checking It in the National Institute of Korean Language Dictionary

아무래도 (amuraedo) (adverb) 아무리 생각해 보아도. 또는 아무리 이리저리 해 보아도. (No matter how much one thinks it over; or no matter how one tries this and that.) [en] in all respects; by any possibility — By any measure; even though one makes great effort. [ja] どうしても。どうでも — いくら考えてみても。また、いくら努力してみても。 [es] de cualquier modo, de todos modos — Por más que siga pensando. De una manera u otra. [zh] 到底，还是 — 不管怎么想；或指不管怎么做。 — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

※ The Portuguese definition isn’t listed in the dictionary, so we’ve supplied our own to help: de qualquer forma; provavelmente — no matter how much you think it over.

Below are the dictionary’s actual usage examples, quoted as they are, with a note on the kind of moment each one comes from.

목구멍이 간질간질한 게 아무래도 감기인 것 같아요. (mokgumeong-i ganjilganjilhan ge amuraedo gamgi-in geot gatayo — “My throat is all tickly, so I think it’s probably a cold.”) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is the most typical use of 아무래도 (amuraedo). You give the evidence first — “my throat is all tickly” — and then step carefully from that evidence to a conclusion. Evidence → 아무래도 (amuraedo) → ~것 같다 (~geot gatda). Memorize that order and you can use it right away.

아무래도 가입자 수가 많은 곳이 낫겠지. (amuraedo gaipja suga maneun gosi natgetji — “All things considered, the one with more subscribers is probably better.”) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is the moment you’ve been weighing two services and finally tip toward one. Here 아무래도 (amuraedo) isn’t a guess — it means “looking at it from every angle.” It’s the slot Koreans reach for out of habit when comparing options like phone carriers, academies, or hospitals.

아무래도 세대가 다르다 보니 사고방식에 간극이 있는 모양이구나. (amuraedo sedaega dareuda boni sagobangsige gangeugi inneun moyang-iguna — “I guess since we’re from different generations, there’s a gap in how we think.”) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is the tone of blaming the situation rather than the person. Paired with ~인 모양이구나 (~in moyang-iguna), it feels out the cause without pinning it down.

가라오케 반주는 직접 연주하는 악기 반주에 비하면 아무래도 어설픈 데가 있다. (garaoke banjuneun jikjeop yeonjuhaneun akgi banjue bihamyeon amuraedo eoseolpeun dega itda — “Compared to live instrumental accompaniment, karaoke backing tracks inevitably feel a bit clumsy.”) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

This is the resigned 아무래도 (amuraedo) — “there’s just no getting around it.” A는 B에 비하면 아무래도 ~하다 (A-neun B-e bihamyeon amuraedo ~hada) is a comparison frame you can lift and use whole.

네. 아무래도 경쟁 회사의 간계에 당한 것 같습니다. (ne. amuraedo gyeongjaeng hoesaui gangye-e danghan geot gatseumnida — “Yes. It seems we were likely caught in a rival company’s scheme.”) — National Institute of Korean Language, Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr)

아무래도 (amuraedo) works fine in formal settings too. But note that even here, the sentence ends in a guess: ~것 같습니다 (~geot gatseumnida). Remember that it doesn’t attach to established facts.

See It in a Real Conversation

Setting: Saturday afternoon. You’ve come out to the front gate of your apartment complex to pick up a bike you bought secondhand. It’s twenty minutes past the meeting time.

Jun-kyung: 아직도 안 왔어? 전화는 해 봤고? Still not here? Did you try calling?

Emily: 세 번 했는데 안 받아. 아무래도 못 오는 거 아닐까? I called three times, no answer. I’m starting to think he can’t make it.

Jun-kyung: 채팅도 안 읽고… 아무래도 좀 이상한데. He’s not even reading the messages… Something seems off, honestly.

Emily: 아, 진짜. 여기까지 지하철 타고 왔는데. Ugh, seriously. I came all the way here by subway.

Jun-kyung: 십 분만 더 기다려 보고 가자. 안 오면 아무래도 새로 사는 게 낫겠어. Let’s wait ten more minutes and go. If he doesn’t show, all things considered you’re better off buying new.

Emily: 그러게. 중고가 싸긴 한데 아무래도 이런 일이 생기네. Yeah. Secondhand is cheap, but this kind of thing is bound to happen.

아무래도 (amuraedo) shows up four times in this one conversation: the first two are “a guess,” the last two are “a judgment after weighing things.” Koreans don’t learn these two uses as separate items. The word just comes out automatically whenever they’ve reached a conclusion but don’t want to nail it down.

This Is Where It Sounds Off

✗ (reporting to your manager) 부장님, 아무래도 이번 분기 매출이 12퍼센트 올랐습니다. (bujangnim, amuraedo ibeon bungi maechuri 12 peosenteu ollatseumnida) ✓ 부장님, 이번 분기 매출이 12퍼센트 올랐습니다. (bujangnim, ibeon bungi maechuri 12 peosenteu ollatseumnida — “Sir, revenue rose 12 percent this quarter.”) → 아무래도 (amuraedo) is a cushion that attaches to guesses. Put it in front of a confirmed number and you sound like someone who doesn’t trust their own report. On the other hand, when the cause is still uncertain, it’s perfectly natural: “아무래도 환율 영향인 것 같습니다” (amuraedo hwanyul yeonghyang-in geot gatseumnida — “I believe it’s likely the exchange rate effect”).

✗ (gladly taking on a request from your boss) 네, 아무래도 제가 하겠습니다. (ne, amuraedo jega hagetseumnida) ✓ 네, 제가 하겠습니다. (ne, jega hagetseumnida — “Yes, I’ll do it.”) → 아무래도 (amuraedo) carries a shadow of “I’m not thrilled about it, but there’s no other way.” Attach it where you mean to volunteer happily, and you sound like you’re being saddled with it. If what you want to express is the judgment “it’d be better if I did it,” put it inside a comparison frame: “아무래도 제가 하는 게 낫겠습니다” (amuraedo jega haneun ge natgetseumnida — “All things considered, it’d be better if I did it”). That’s where the meaning comes alive.

Example Sentences by Situation

1. Asking to leave work early during a meeting because you feel sick

You’ve been running a fever since morning, but there’s still an afternoon schedule, so it’s hard to bring up.

죄송한데 아무래도 오늘은 조퇴해야 할 것 같습니다. (joesonghande amuraedo oneureun jotoehaeya hal geot gatseumnida — “I’m sorry, but I think I’m going to have to leave early today.”)

“조퇴하겠습니다” (jotoehagetseumnida — “I’m leaving early”) is an announcement; adding 아무래도 (amuraedo) also conveys the process — “I tried to tough it out, but…” It’s practically a formula at Korean workplaces for early leave, taking a day off, or declining something.

2. Picking a restaurant for dinner with a friend

You’ve been going back and forth between two places for ten minutes, and your mind tips one way.

아무래도 웨이팅 짧은 데가 낫지 않을까? (amuraedo weiting jjalbeun dega natji aneulkka? — “All things considered, wouldn’t the place with the shorter wait be better?”)

낫다 (natda — “to be better”) and 아무래도 (amuraedo) are best friends. Memorize 아무래도 ~이/가 낫다 (amuraedo ~i/ga natda) as one chunk and you can pull it out at every moment of choice.

3. The day after a blind date, opening up to a friend

It’s been a full day with no reply. You figured they were busy, but their social media keeps updating.

아무래도 나한테 마음이 없나 봐. (amuraedo nahante ma-eumi eomna bwa — “I guess they’re just not into me.”)

아무래도 + ~나 보다 (amuraedo + ~na boda) is the tone of setting something down while half-hiding the hurt. Saying “나한테 마음이 없어” (nahante ma-eumi eopseo — “They’re not into me”) flat out leaves the wound fully exposed; 아무래도 (amuraedo) draws one layer of cover in front of it.

Formality Levels and Similar Expressions

아무래도 (amuraedo) is an adverb, so it doesn’t conjugate on its own. Politeness is decided by the predicate that follows. Casual: “아무래도 감기인 것 같아” (amuraedo gamgi-in geot gata). Polite: “아무래도 감기인 것 같아요 / 같습니다” (amuraedo gamgi-in geot gatayo / gatseumnida). In other words, 아무래도 (amuraedo) can be used as-is with people senior to you. The one condition is that it doesn’t go in front of confirmed facts — only guesses.

Expression	Temperature / Strength	Where it’s used
아무래도 (amuraedo)	A careful conclusion after weighing the evidence	Anywhere. Natural in both polite and casual speech
왠지 (waenji)	No idea why — just a feeling	For emotions and gut instinct. Sounds odd if you then list reasons
어쩐지 (eojjeonji)	The “ah, that explains it” of catching the cause after the fact	For things that already happened, as in “어쩐지 춥더라” (eojjeonji chupdeora)
아무튼 (amuteun)	A pivot that cuts off the topic and moves on	A completely different meaning. Not for guessing — for wrapping up

Pay special attention to the difference from 어쩐지 (eojjeonji). 아무래도 (amuraedo) is the word that leads into a conclusion; 어쩐지 (eojjeonji) is the word that looks back after a conclusion has arrived. Seeing snow outside the window, you say “어쩐지 춥더라” (eojjeonji chupdeora — “No wonder it felt cold”), not “아무래도 춥더라.”

Cultural Background — The Habit of Not Declaring

아무래도 (amuraedo) is thought to have hardened out of 아무렇다 / 아무러하다 (amureotda / amureohada) plus the ending -아도 (-ado). The picture of “however I try it” and “whichever way I think about it” is still right there inside the word. That’s why it always carries traces of having passed through every branch of the road.

One striking feature of Korean conversation is the habit of being certain while leaving the ending open. Even when it’s obviously a cold, you say “감기인 것 같아요” (gamgi-in geot gatayo — “I think it’s a cold”). Even when the other person is clearly in the wrong, you open with “제가 잘못 안 걸 수도 있는데요” (jega jalmot an geol sudo inneundeyo — “I might have this wrong, but…”). A flat declaration leaves the listener no room to push back, so it lands a little hard all by itself. 아무래도 (amuraedo) is a remarkably economical device: it lowers that force while keeping the weight of “I’ve already thought this through plenty.”

That’s why it’s also a language of refusal. Watch a scene in a Korean drama where a relationship ends — “헤어지자” (heeojija — “Let’s break up”) rarely comes out right away. There’s a long pause, and then it circles around to “우리 아무래도 안 되겠다” (uri amuraedo an doegetda — “I don’t think this is going to work for us”). Turning down a request at work isn’t “못 합니다” (mot hamnida — “I can’t do it”) either; it’s “아무래도 어려울 것 같습니다” (amuraedo eoryeoul geot gatseumnida — “I’m afraid that would be difficult”). The listener knows that’s a settled refusal in practice. The words are open, but the meaning is closed.

If a Korean learner can’t read this layer, misunderstandings follow. Hearing “아무래도 힘들 것 같아요” (amuraedo himdeul geot gatayo) as “there’s still a chance” and pushing one more time is exactly that case. The moment 아무래도 (amuraedo) is attached, the other person has already weighed everything from every side. Read it as a signal to bow out politely.

Today’s Quiz

Your friend hasn’t shown up, and it’s been an hour past the meeting time. They’re not picking up the phone either. What’s the most natural thing to say?

① 아무래도 무슨 일이 생겼나 봐. (amuraedo museun iri saenggyeonna bwa) ② 아무튼 무슨 일이 생겼나 봐. (amuteun museun iri saenggyeonna bwa) ③ 아무래도 무슨 일이 생겼습니다. (amuraedo museun iri saenggyeotseumnida)

Answer: ①

You’ve waited an hour and tried calling, so the evidence has piled up — which makes 아무래도 + ~나 보다 (amuraedo + ~na boda) a perfect fit. The 아무튼 (amuteun) in ② is for changing the subject, so it doesn’t make sense here. ③ uses formal speech with a friend, and “생겼습니다” (saenggyeotseumnida) declares it as fact, which clashes with the guessing nature of 아무래도 (amuraedo). Something like “아무래도 무슨 일이 생긴 것 같아요” (amuraedo museun iri saenggin geot gatayo) would be natural even in a polite-speech setting.

Definitions and example sentences are from the National Institute of Korean Language’s Basic Korean Dictionary (krdict.korean.go.kr); that portion of this post, including our translations, is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0 KR.